Monday, January 26, 2009

This morning I went to the grocery store after Joel's dr appointment with all 3 kids. I have been going by myself or with Chris lately, just because its easier than trying to go by myself with 3 kids. But I didn't have a ton to get, so I thought I would just do it quick on my way home. So I got to Meijer at about 10:30, figuring it would go pretty smoothly. Not so much. It is very difficult to get through the check out with 3 little kids without creating complete havoc. Noah cried pretty much the entire time we waited for the lady in front of us to ring up her 50 coupons (Seriously, she must have had 50 coupons. Pass some this way!) . It was a young guy checking our groceries and he said two words to me, rushed me through the checkout while I'm trying to put groceries in the cart and prevent Noah from totally melting down. Fortunately, Joel slept through it all. What really irritates me though is that they don't have their sale items stocked! I told Andrew we could get some John Deere fruit snacks that were on sale and they were gone already! A couple of weeks ago I went at night to shop and 5 items that I wanted were completely off the shelves. So I'm thinking of writing to Meijer. Not complaining, but maybe giving some helpful criticism. My dad told me that the checkers at Meijer are timed. Not such a great idea when you are trying to handle your kids, groceries and pay the checker. Also, maybe they need to monitor their customer flow so that the shelves are stocked at the right time. There is no replacement for Meijer for me, its close and has everything I need at reasonable prices, but it would be nice if they improved some areas.

This week will be easy. A lot going on.Mon ~ Out for dinner for my mom and my birthdaysTues ~ My birthday. My brother is bringing pizza over. Wed ~ Salsa Chicken and Black Bean soup (didn't get to this last week)Thurs ~ Spaghetti, green beans, breadFri ~ Just Chris and the boys are eating dinner at home so maybe pancakes or eggsSat ~ Smoked Sausage and potatoes and carrots/dinner at mom and dad'sSun ~ Grilled cheese and soup

Thursday, January 15, 2009

I had 2 $2 off coupons for a Johnson baby product and 1 $1 off coupon. I bought 3 soaps for $1.17 each for a total of $3.51. So I made $1.49 off this deal! I've never used these soaps before, but they look kind of neat for kids.

Andrew turned 4 the day after Christmas. Very big day for him because this was the day we had decided he had to give up his pipe! He's only had it at night and naps for the past year and a half, but we weren't sure how it was going to go with no pipe at all. But he did really well. And now he's such a big boy!

For his previous birthdays, I have just made cupcakes or plain cake, but this year he realized more what was going on and since he loves trains so much, I made him a train cake. Not quite how I had envisioned it and I'm not sure how impressed he actually was, but it was fun to make!

I didn't think the adults would appreciate candy laden cake so I made an extra frosted cake. The licorice train is Aunt Michelle's design.

The birthday boy with his cake.

Chris and I decided to get Andrew a Leapster for his birthday. We had heard good things about it and thought it would be a good learning tool. I'm glad we got it now. I don't think he's really quite ready for it, but he's learning how to use it and hopefully he will be able to learn some things from it.

Monday, January 12, 2009

I made all the meals I planned last week! Yay! It was much easier to cook dinner when I knew in advance what I was making. I think we ate a bit healthier too.

This week:Monday ~ Nasi with smoked sausage, green beansTuesday ~ Make your own taco saladWednesday ~ Leftovers or breakfast for supperThursday ~ Beef stew in the crockpotFriday ~ Couples night out with some great friends from church (Can't wait!!)Saturday ~ Lasagne (already made with leftover sauce from last week), garlic bread, saladSunday ~ Soup and grilled cheese

Thursday, January 08, 2009

I haven't tried this yet, but I got an email that said I could get a free 12 month calendar from Shutterfly by typing in code CALENDAR12. This expires 1/15/09. I'm thinking you will probably need to pay shipping.

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Noah is 21 months old and I cut his hair for the first time on the day before Christmas. He seemed so babyish with his long hair that I was reluctant to cut it off. But it was getting pretty long. Long enough that I could have put a short braid in. Long enough that Chris threatened to buzz his whole head while I was gone one day. So I decided I better do it myself. I used the longest comb on my shearers. Here are a few before and after pictures:

Noah getting ready for his haircut. He has no clue what's about to happen.

Still happy, glad he's getting so much attention from mommy. You can see his wispy hair floating around his collar.

His pretty long hair! I thought it was cute.

Post hair-cut. Not so happy to get his picture taken now.

Much shorter hair in the back now!

A more subdued Noah. Notice the pacifier. He wasn't that thrilled to have the buzzers going over his head. I just cut the back and sides and left the front longer. He still is my cute little boy, but definitely looks a little older now.

Monday, January 05, 2009

A couple great deals this week:Electrasol gel tabs are on sale for $3. There was a coupon for $2.50 off in this weeks press and you get a rebate for $1.50 so you make money!Garnier shampoo and conditioner is on sale for $2.99. There was a coupon also from this week for $1 off and Walgreen's has $2 off coupons in their January EasySaver booklet. Make sure the cashier rings up the manufacturer coupon first, then the Walgreen's coupon, otherwise it won't work (I found out the hard way!). Free shampoo!I am having a ton of fun with Walgreen's and have already earned a bunch there. I have $10 in register rewards to use before next week so I'll be able to get some free diapers!I do have to make sure I only buy things we really need. Sometimes I get so caught up that I get things that we don't really use or need, so then I'm wasting time and money. But it is so great to get things we use every day for free!

I'm trying to stick to my grocery budget better this year, and I'm trying to plan my meals in advance so I can buy what I need better. Here's what's cooking this week:Monday ~ Meatball sandwiches with marinara sauce and spinach saladTuesday ~ Slow cooker spaghetti sauce with some kind of bread and veggiesWednesday ~ Cheesy potatoes and ham made in the slow cooker to bring to the church potluckThursday ~ Slow cooker beef roast with potatoes and carrotsFriday ~ Teriyaki chicken with rice and canned cornSaturday ~ LeftoversSunday ~ Soup and buns